News
Ripple Fiber has earned a $4 million grant for Harnett County through a program led by North Carolina’s Broadband Infrastructure Office, known as NCDIT.
By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
A recent grant awarded to Ripple Fiber in North Carolina will help the provider reach over 850 unserved and underserved locations in Harnett County.
The grant, awarded through the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) program, will be completed by late 2026, according to the provider.
Bobbie Gilbert, Chief Government Affairs Officer at Ripple Fiber, said the money is critical to the mission of boosting connectivity in North Carolina.
In comments included with Ripple’s announcement, he said the ISP additionally looks forward to maximizing the projects impacts through strategic initiatives and partnerships in the county.
According to Ripple Fiber, the transaction is a result of the company’s finalized agreement to acquire fiber infrastructure assets from CloudWyze.
The deal led to the provider assuming grants previously awarded by the Broadband Infrastructure Office of the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), Ripple’s announcement explained.
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“As of March 2025, the State of North Carolina officially approved and completed the transfer of the grant to Ripple Fiber, paving the way for the provider to execute this broadband expansion initiative,” Ripple’s release also stated.
Brent Trout, the manager of Harnett County, welcomed Ripple Fiber to the area in his comments.
“We are grateful for their partnership as they bring high-speed fiber internet service to our residents and businesses,” Trout said. “Access to broadband is a necessity and we look forward to expanding broadband to even more areas in need across Harnett County.”
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